


keep him from drowning

by flootzavut



Series: liminal spaces [6]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Ambiguous Relationship, Blanket Permission, Friendship, Hurt Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Hurt/Comfort, Jaskier | Dandelion singing, M/M, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Podfic Available, Protective Jaskier | Dandelion, Unresolved Emotional Tension, canon typical language, implied injury, queer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22656034
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flootzavut/pseuds/flootzavut
Summary: "He doesn't remember the fight."
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia & Jaskier | Dandelion, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Series: liminal spaces [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1610095
Comments: 36
Kudos: 606





	keep him from drowning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alleyesonthehindenburg](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alleyesonthehindenburg/gifts).



* * *

_**keep him from drowning** _

* * *

He doesn't remember the fight.

They blur together after a while, of course, after decades spent hunting the same creatures over and over again, but he doesn't even remember what he was fighting. Something definitely isn't right.

"Geralt?" The voice is shaky but familiar. A hand taps his cheek, too gently. "Geralt?"

A sunshine voice, not one that should be worried. Geralt lets out a low hum, for once not because he has nothing to say but because his body won't cooperate. Everything is muffled and indistinct.

"Oh gods, Geralt."

Geralt manages to force his eyes open, just a crack, just for a second, and sees a familiar blue. _Jaskier_. He draws a deep breath: "Jaskier."

There's a moment of silence, then a noise something like a sob. "Geralt, don't- don't fucking scare me like that."

Geralt can't keep his eyes open. Jaskier touches his face, traces the line of his cheekbone. Geralt is so fucking tired.

* * *

The next time he surfaces, everything hurts. He doesn't remember pain, he just remembers darkness, but now pain's all there is. His body is knitting itself back together, and it _hurts_.

Someone wipes away the clamminess from his brow, his cheeks, his chin, humming a song that's half-familiar, as if he heard it in a dream. It gives him something to focus on besides the pain, and he concentrates on it, holds on to it as tightly as possible.

Whoever's looking after him places the damp cloth back on his forehead; it's blissfully cool. A familiar hand takes hold of his. The music carries on, and he follows it, and somehow it lets him ignore the pain a little, lets him slip back into the welcoming, numbing darkness.

* * *

"You can't die, Geralt. You can't die on me."

The music has stopped, but the hand is still in his and the sunshine voice is back. For some minutes, Geralt can't push a sound out of his throat, can't peel his eyelids apart, so he just listens as the voice alternately threatens and cajoles and begs.

'I'm fine,' he wants to say, 'I'll be fine, I'm not dying. Don't you know what it takes to kill a Witcher?' But the words are stuck in his throat.

"If you die, I'm going to-" The voice breaks off. Geralt listens as hard as he can, but he can't hear a thing except his own rasping breaths and the slow, steady pound of his heartbeat. Then, when he's all but given up, "I'll- I'll sing at your grave until you're so annoyed, you'll come back to life just so you can tell me to shut up!"

The image is so absurd that Geralt chuckles, except his body can't quite manage a chuckle, so instead he coughs several times, deep and racking. That forces his eyes open, and though it hurts when he tries to turn his head, he can look. A familiar face.

"Jaskier." It's rough, but he gets it out.

Jaskier's eyes are red, his hair is sticking up at all angles, he looks like he hasn't slept in a week, and his doublet is torn at the shoulder. He's the best thing Geralt can recall seeing in his life. "Geralt." Jaskier looks at him, just _looks_.

Geralt can't keep his eyes open for long, he's exhausted and it hurts. "What- what happened?"

There's a second or two of silence, then a huffed-out laugh that isn't amused in the slightest. "You scared me, Geralt. You nearly died." Jaskier squeezes his hand, tight, tight. "Don't do that again."

"I'll do my best not to," Geralt whispers.

Jaskier clasps Geralt's hand in both of his for one long moment. "If you ever do that again, I'll kill you myself."

Geralt smiles. "You can try."

A more genuine laugh, though it sounds wet, as if Jaskier has been crying. "You scared me."

"I'll be fine, Jaskier." Geralt peels his eyes open, for as long as he can. Jaskier's watching him, worry still etched all over his face. "I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Jaskier studies him, then nods, and Geralt can rest. The worst of it's over, and Jaskier will make sure no more harm comes to him. He has the oddest urge to reach up and ruffle Jaskier's hair, and if Jaskier weren't holding his hand like a lifeline, he'd give in to it.

"Jaskier?"

"Yes, Geralt?"

"Thank you."

Jaskier doesn't let go of Geralt's hand, but he shifts, and Geralt isn't sure what he's doing. Then there's breath on Geralt's cheek and warm lips pressed to his skin, soft, so soft, the gentlest kiss Geralt can ever remember. Jaskier brushes his hair back from his face, fingertips lingering, and Geralt wonders what he's thinking.

"I'm not going anywhere, either," Jaskier whispers.

Geralt nods, squeezes Jaskier's hand again, then lets sleep claim him once more.

_~ fin ~_

**Author's Note:**

> Title from another song by Joey and Madeleine's band: [King by The Amazing Devil](https://youtu.be/p3wFZfpMQmM), since I literally haven't listened to anything but TAD and the Witcher OST for weeks now 😳🤣

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[Podfic] keep him from drowning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23491816) by [Chantress](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chantress/pseuds/Chantress)




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